1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for determining an individual's intensity of focused attention, concentration and/or interest by measuring at least one signal emitted from the individual's body, such as, for example, from the individual's head, and generally from the frontal lobe of the brain. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for determining an individual's intensity of focused attention by measuring at least one signal emitted from the individual's body wherein the signal emitted therefrom is processed and integrated as an attention indicator into a computer program, such as a video game, so that additional input is provided thereby. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a new method for detecting a user's concentration, interest, and/or single-pointed focus of attention.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The brain produces electrical signals from at least 0-40 Hertz ("Hz"), which are measurable from the scalp. These signals constitute the EEG or electroencephalogram. All the previous patents and inventions related to EEG have been based upon an intellectual framework that specified that signals from about 0-4 Hz often indicate a deep sleep state (the so-called, "delta" range); signals from about 4-8 Hz indicate a reverie or daydreaming state (the so-called, "theta" range); signals from about 8-13 Hz indicate an alert, but less mentally busy state (the so-called, "alpha" range); and, signals above 13 Hz indicate a vigilant state (the so-called, "beta" range).
While this may be true of signals measured from a majority of the cortex, this invention is based on the first applicant's research, which indicates that an additional phenomenon can be reliably demonstrated in the frontal and fronto-central midline portions of the brain surrounding the sites labeled FCz, Fz, AFz and FPz by electroencephalogrophers. In these areas, which overlie portions of the Executive Attention Network, attention focused on an object causes all of these organized brainwave patterns to diminish in intensity. They are presumably replaced by a higher frequency, very random cortical activation pattern that would be very difficult to measure with a traditional EEG instrument, since they are attenuated by the skull. The present invention monitors focused attention, concentration, and interest by measuring the decrease of organized EEG output from 0-40 Hz at one or more of these sites. The largest decrease in amplitude or power while focusing generally takes place between 0-11 Hz. To Applicants' knowledge, no prior teaching has set forth a method in which the inhibition of frontal lobe EEG signals has been used to provide an attention indicator.
It is desirable to provide a method to detect this decrease in brainwave output and to integrate the signal into a computer program, such as a video game.
It is even further desirable to provide a method to detect a signal produced from an individual's brain and to derive therefrom a measure of the individual's intensity of focused attention, level of concentration or interest in a particular experience.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,057 to Ayers teaches an apparatus and method for selecting prearranged sequences of visual images in response to a bioelectrical signal emitted from a portion of a user's body, such as, for example, from the user's head. However, it is also desirable to provide a method to detect a signal produced by an individual's brain and to integrate the signal detected thereby into a computer program, such as a video game, with or without images, such that the additional input provided thereby affects, influences, adjusts and modifies operation of the computer program, such as a video game, in a complex and customizable fashion.
For example, European Patent Application No. 177,075 to Ugo, et al., sketchily teaches an electronic system for use with an electronic game, wherein existing manual controls manipulable by a user's hands are entirely replaced with equivalent controls manipulable directly by signals emitted from the user's brain. However, it is further desirable to provide a method to detect signals produced by an individual's brain, preferably with a single EEG sensor placed in the midline location described above, and to process these signals by a method that responds and/or adapts to the user's degree of concentration, interest, and/or one-pointed focus of attention. It is furthermore desirable to provide a method of processing and integrating the signal detected thereby into a computer program, such as a video game, wherein the manual control, such as, for example, by a joystick, keyboard, mouse or other similar input device, of the computer program, such as a video game, is enabled or supplemented, but not totally replaced, by complex control inputs derived from the signal detected thereby. Furthermore, based on the attention indicator of the user, the logic driving the game can be modified.